Tape feeder

ABSTRACT

A tape feeder in which centering of a component can be easily performed is provided. 
     A component pickup opening  10  for taking out a component  5  from the tape feeder is provided with symmetrical markers  15  including patterns which are linearly symmetrical with respect to a position p 1  where a center p of the component  5  is to be positioned in a tape feeding direction (an arrow mark a), and are visually varied at a determined interval. When the component  5  is positioned in such a manner that brightness of the symmetrical markers  15  corresponding to a front end position p 2  of the component  5  may be equal to brightness corresponding to a back end position p 3,  a state where the center p of the component  5  is positioned to the center p 1  of the symmetrical markers  15,  that is, centering of the component  5  can be realized.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a tape feeder.

BACKGROUND ART

A tape feeder is a component supplying apparatus for supplying a plurality of components contained in a carrier tape at an equal pitch, in such a manner that the components can be picked up. The carrier tape is fed by pitch feeding inside a casing, by means of a tape feeding mechanism which is incorporated in the tape feeder, and the components contained in the carrier tape are carried to a component pickup opening. The component pickup opening is an opening for picking up the component by a nozzle to take it out. Some of the tape feeders are provided with a mechanism for varying an opening area of the component pickup opening so that the tape feeder can deal with various kinds of components having different sizes (Reference should be made to Japanese Patent No. 3642217).

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Problems that the Invention is to Solve

A position where the nozzle picks up the component is fixed with respect to the component pickup opening, and therefore, a center of the component (a center of its shape) in the component pickup opening must be at a fixed position irrespective of size of the component. However, in case of the tape feeder provided with the mechanism for varying the opening area, centering of the component based on a shape of the opening as a guidepost is difficult, because the shape of the opening is remarkably varied, particularly when a length of the opening in a tape feeding direction is changed. As the results, deterioration of working efficiency and influence due to personal equation are concerned.

Under the circumstances, an object of the invention is to provide a tape feeder in which centering of a component can be easily performed.

Means for Solving the Problems

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a tape feeder comprising a feeding mechanism for feeding a carrier tape, a component pickup opening of which a length in a feeding direction of the carrier tape is variable, and a mark as a guidepost for positioning the component contained in the carrier tape with respect to the component pickup opening, wherein the mark includes patterns which are symmetrical with respect to a position where the component is to be positioned in the feeding direction of the carrier tape.

In the tape feeder according to a second aspect of the invention, the mark includes the patterns which are visually varied in the feeding direction of the carrier tape.

In the tape feeder according to a third aspect of the invention, the patterns are displayed by variation of either of features such as color, number, symbol or shape.

Advantage of the Invention

According to the invention, because centering of the component can be easily performed irrespective of its size, a time required for resetting the tape feeder on occasion of starting operation or exchanging a tape can be shortened, and an influence of personal difference of an operator can be excluded to a minimum.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing structure of an essential part of a tape feeder in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing structure of a component pickup opening and a surrounding area of the tape feeder in the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing patterns of marks in the embodiment of the invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing structure of an essential part of a tape feeder in an embodiment of the invention. A feeding mechanism for a carrier tape 2 includes a sprocket 1, and pins 3 which are formed at an equal pitch on an outer periphery of the sprocket 1 are engaged with feeding holes 4 which are formed on the carrier tape 2 at an equal pitch in a longitudinal direction thereof. When the sprocket 1 makes index rotations at a determined rotation angle, the carrier tape 2 which is engaged with the pins 3 is sequentially fed at an equal pitch in the longitudinal direction (an arrow mark a). In the tape feeder in this embodiment, a feeding pitch of the carrier tape 2 per one index rotation of the sprocket 1 is set to be 4 mm.

The carrier tape 2 contains a plurality of components 5 at an equal pitch in the longitudinal direction. The carrier tapes 2 having different containing pitches are used depending on types of the components 5. However, under the condition that the feeding pitch of the tape feeder is set to be 4 mm, the containing pitch is so set as to be an integral multiple of 4 mm, irrespective of the type of the component 5. Therefore, in case where the containing pitch is 4 mm, for example, the feeding pitch of the carrier tape 2 per one index rotation of the sprocket 1 can be set to be the same 4 mm as the containing pitch. In case where the containing pitch is 12 mm, the feeding pitch of the carrier tape 2 per three index rotations of the sprocket 1 can be set to be 12 mm.

A cover 6 is a member for covering the carrier tape 2 from above. The cover 6 is pivotally attached to side faces of a body 8 of the tape feeder by means of two holes 7 which are provided in a backward part thereof in the tape feeding direction (the arrow mark a), and engaged with the side faces of the body 8 of the tape feeder by means of two hooks 9 which are provided in a forward part thereof so that the cover 6 can be rotated around the two holes 7 to be opened or closed. While the tape feeder is in operation, the cover 6 is closed to cover an upper part and side parts of the carrier tape 2 thereby to regulate a feeding posture of the carrier tape, and when the feeding holes 4 are engaged with the pins 3 of the sprocket 1 on occasion of exchanging the carrier tape 2 and so on, the cover 6 is opened for giving easy access to an operator.

A component pickup opening 10 for taking out the components 5 which are contained in the carrier tape 2 is formed at a substantially center of the cover 6, passing it through from a surface to a back face thereof. A shutter 11 for partially closing the component pickup opening 10 in the tape feeding direction is provided on the back face of the cover 6. The shutter 11 is fastened with screws 13 to elongated holes 12 which are formed in the cover 6, and can slide along the elongated holes 12 in a state where the screws 13 are loosened. By adjusting a sliding amount of the shutter according to a size of the component 5, a length of the component pickup opening 10 in the tape feeding direction can be changed. A plurality of the components 5 which are contained in the carrier tape 2 at an equal pitch will be sequentially picked up from the component pickup opening 10 by a nozzle or the like.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing structure of the component pickup opening and its surrounding area. A position p where the nozzle picks up the component 5 is fixed with respect to the component pickup opening 10 irrespective of the size of the component 5. Generally, the nozzle sucks a center of the component (a center of its shape) thereby to maintain a state where the component is stably held after it has been picked up, and the operator is required to align the center of the component 5 (the center of its shape) in the tape feeding direction with the pickup position p. Symmetrical markers 15 provided in side parts of the component pickup opening 10 are marks for positioning the center of the component 5 in a state contained in the carrier tape 2 to the pickup position p. The operator performs positioning of the component 5 on the basis of a visual indication shown by the symmetrical markers 15. Positioning of the component 5 is performed by adjusting a rotation angle of the sprocket 1 and feeding the carrier tape 2 back and forth, and the rotation angle of the sprocket 1 when the component 5 has been positioned will be the basis of the index rotation.

The symmetrical markers 15 include patterns which are linearly symmetrical with respect to a position p1 where the center of the component 5 is to be positioned in the tape feeding direction (the arrow mark a), and the patterns are visually varied at a determined interval. Although the symmetrical markers 15 as exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 2 are shown in patterns of gray scale which has chroma of 0 and brightness varying at every determined interval, hue, brightness, and chroma of the symmetrical markers 15 may be individually varied, or a combination of them may be also varied. Alternatively, the symmetrical markers 15 may include patterns having numbers which are symmetrically arranged in an increasing order and in a decreasing order (FIG. 3( a)), patterns having symbols and figures in different shapes which are symmetrically arranged (FIG. 3( b)), or patterns in which a colored area 16 is varied stepwise according to distances from the position p1 (FIG. 3( c)).

When the operator conducts positioning of the component 5, it is not so difficult to align the center of the component 5 directly with the position p1 where the center of the component 5 is to be positioned in the tape feeding direction (the arrow mark a), because the center can be easily grasped, in case where the center of the component 5 is provided with a mark, or the component has a regular shape such as a rectangular shape. Moreover, in case where the type of the component 5 is not changed, and the shutter 11 is in a fixed state, it is possible to conduct positioning of the component 5, using the shape of the component pickup opening 10 as a guidepost, because the shape of the opening is constant. However, in case where the component 5 has an irregular shape as shown in FIG. 2, it is difficult to grasp the center, and in case where the shape of the component pickup opening 10 is frequently changed, it is impossible to use the shape of the opening as the guidepost.

The symmetrical markers 15 are the marks for directly aligning the center of the component 5 with the center p1, and at the same time, are the marks for positioning the component 5 paying attention to positions p2, p3 of opposite ends (a front end and a back end) of the component 5 in the tape feeding direction. Specifically, when the component 5 is positioned in such a manner that the brightness of the symmetric markers 15 corresponding to the front end position p2 of the component 5 may be equal to the brightness corresponding to the back end position p3, as shown in FIG. 2, a state where the center of the component 5 is positioned to the center p1 of the symmetrical markers 15, that is, centering of the component 5 can be realized. The positions p2, p3 of the opposite ends of the component 5 can be easily grasped from the center, and therefore, by using the symmetrical markers 15, it becomes possible to reduce burdens required for positioning the component 5, and enhancement of positioning accuracy can be also expected.

Smaller the interval for varying the features of the symmetrical markers 15 such as the brightness is, more precisely the component 5 can be positioned. However, it is considered that in case where kinds of colors and symbols to be used are increased in number, it becomes difficult to visually discriminate them. Therefore, the markers can be appropriately set at such an interval that the positioning can be most easily performed, taking the size of the component, environment for use, etc. into consideration. In this case, auxiliary marks for further dividing the respective intervals may be added. Moreover, the mark to be the guidepost for positioning the component 5 may include the symmetrical markers 15 which are additionally provided on the cover 6, or may include patterns in which the opening area of the component pickup opening 10 is varied according to distances from the position p1 (FIG. 3( d)).

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the invention, because centering of the component can be easily performed irrespective of its size, the tape feeder has such advantage that a time required for resetting on occasion of starting operation or exchanging a tape can be shortened, and at the same time, an influence of personal difference of an operator can be excluded. Therefore, the invention is particularly useful to be used in a component equipping field for dealing with the components having various sizes. 

1. A tape feeder comprising a feeding mechanism for feeding a carrier tape, a component pickup opening of which a length in a feeding direction of the carrier tape is variable, and a mark as a guidepost for positioning the component contained in the carrier tape with respect to the component pickup opening, wherein the mark includes patterns which are symmetrical with respect to a position where the component is to be positioned in the feeding direction of the carrier tape.
 2. A tape feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mark includes the patterns which are visually varied in the feeding direction of the carrier tape.
 3. A tape feeder as claimed in claim 2, wherein said patterns are displayed by variation of either of features such as color, number, symbol or shape. 